


Cleansing Choices

by alafaye



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 02:49:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5317649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the rain, they can both find some healing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cleansing Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2015 hp_drizzle fest on LJ. This was prompt #27, Sirius/Harry, _Some people feel the rain, others just get wet._ First posted [here](http://hp-drizzle.livejournal.com/38284.html).
> 
>   
>  Art by blue_sunflowers and banner by capitu.

Harry started awake when he heard the thunder. He had his wand in hand before his brain fully woke up, but luckily didn't cast anything. Sirius' owl, Fluffy (Teddy had named him before they could and the owl wouldn't answer to anything else now), hooted at Harry from his favorite perch on top of the wardrobe. Harry groaned and fell back. Another crash of thunder and he jumped. Fluffy ruffled his feathers and hooted again.

The thing was, Sirius usually woke up before him and set up a silencing charm so Harry wouldn't wake up during storms.

Frowning, Harry looked over at the very empty side of the bed. It was cold. 

He debated going out for all of two seconds; the next crash of thunder had him stumbling out of bed and into the garden.

~~~

The first time, he hadn't known that Sirius had gone out. Harry'd been in the kitchen making a cuppa when it had stopped raining and as he was pouring his tea, Sirius joined him, shaking out his damp hair and complaining that the rain hadn't lasted long enough.

"Long enough for what?" Harry asked, sipping his tea blankly.

Sirius only smiled.

The second time had been a proper rain storm, at least according to Sirius. It had lasted a couple of hours and had turned everything so wet that mud had started to trickle into the house from the back (a problem neither of them had anticipated and had necessitated a quick search for a spell that would shore up the back from getting flooded).

Harry had watched forlornly from the kitchen-- he had been planning on doing something with their neglected garden-- but Sirius had been ecstatic, standing outside and getting thoroughly soaked. When he'd tried to come inside, Harry had waved his wand threateningly. Given that Harry's drying charms tended to leave clothes in ashes, Sirius had meekly dried himself off with the towels Harry had thrown at him.

It wasn't until the fourth rain storm that Sirius finally explained.

"It's about freedom, Harry," Sirius had said softly, tilting his face back. Harry stayed inside, preferring instead to watch Sirius. "It never really rains where Azkaban is, but you get plenty wet. It constantly drips and then there's the sea spray. You don't have a choice but to get wet."

"I'd rather have thought you'd prefer to stay dry then," Harry had replied.

"Oh, I love being dry, but I can choose now to be outside in the rain; to be wet," Sirius answered. "And really, there's nothing quite as purifying as a good rainstorm, Harry." He held out his hand to catch some of the rain on his hand. "Some people just see it as a nuisance, getting wet. Some of us, though, actually _feel_ the rain."

It didn't make much sense to Harry, but he accepted it. 

Sirius didn't say anything when Harry kept a pile of towels by the backdoor, but he did say thank you creatively without words.

~~~

The thunder kept on rolling as Harry made his way downstairs and to the backdoor. Sirius was out there, smiling. Harry shook his head. "You're going to get hit by lightning," he called.

Sirius half smiled. "Wizards, Harry. I set up a charm." 

Harry flinched when another lightning bolt struck. Sirius frowned, "Come on out."

"Oh, no, you're not pulling me into that," Harry said, shaking his head, "I'll wait here for you to come to your senses. It's four in the morning, you know."

Sirius wiggled his fingers. Harry shook his head again. Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I can just as easily pull you out here."

"I respect your decision to stand outside in the rain and I'll ask you to respect my decision to stay dry," Harry argued.

"I want to show you something," Sirius said.

More thunder. Harry's hand twitched. Sirius beckoned again. Steeling himself-- because he knew that Sirius wouldn't give up-- Harry stepped outside. He wrinkled his nose when mud leaked between his toes, but Sirius took his hand and they were standing in the rain together, Harry in Sirius' arms.

"I don't know why you want me out here," Harry muttered into Sirius' chest.

"Just hold on," Sirius whispered. He turned Harry, pulling him against his chest, and wrapped an arm around Harry's waist. Harry looked up. He winced when lightning flashed again, but the thunder seemed less intense. It must've been moving on. They stayed out there until the thunder sounded as though it might be in the next town over and the rain was letting up. 

"There we go," Sirius whispered, “thunder isn't that bad, is it?"

Harry bit his lip. "I don't mean to-- "

"Get scared by it?" Sirius asked. "We all have our demons, Harry, but we can all teach ourselves what's part of the demons and what isn't."

Harry half smiled and leaned back. "I don't think it works quite like that."

"Then I'll have to make sure that you are out here often enough for thunderstorms."

"Persistent."

"Have to be, to keep up with you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on. I need a cuppa."

"Mm, I think you and I both need more than a cuppa. Bath?" The way Sirius rolled his hips against Harry implied it wasn't bathing he wasn't after.

Harry didn't mind too much.

~~~

"Nope," Harry grumbled, pulling Sirius back into bed. 

"But Harry!" Sirius whined.

Harry grinned and waved his wand. The window opened and the scent and sound of the rain spilled into the room. Thunder rolled. Harry breathed deep and tucked his head under Sirius'. "If we are going to enjoy storms, we have to take turns doing it our preferred way. Me? I like not being out in the rain, completely dry."

Sirius sighed, but put his arm around Harry's shoulders. "If you insist. But just think, no bath fun after this."

Harry grinned and slid his hand under Sirius' shirt. "I think we can have plenty of fun without a bath."

"Mm, now there is a good idea," Sirius said. He turned them, Harry on his back, Sirius leaning over him. "Want to see if we can manage to get one of us to come when lightning strikes?"

"Wouldn't that be bad luck?" Harry mused.

Sirius kissed him. "Let's find out."

Harry had to admit, as silly as it sounded, but forcing him to listen to the thunder had helped.

Their friends thought they were insane, enjoying the rain as they did, but neither of them minded.


End file.
